Menu

Genius is as genius does

Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating. — John Cleese

Genius creates. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Genius hour. FedEx time. Call it what you will — it is meant for creation. Google returns 20% of its engineers’ time to them to work on whatever projects they wish. They can follow their interests and passions during that period of time. As a result, Google has developed products like Gmail and Google News from this time. Rather than stifling the creativity in its workers, Google has allowed that creativity to flow through their curiosity and drive. And it seems to have worked out well for everyone.

With students, the idea is just as simple. Provide them time to pursue their own interests. Notice I said “pursue”, not “think about.” The key here is to run this time in a PBL-esque way so that action is taken. Connections will be made as students are encouraged to follow their own ideas to fruition. Research followed by production.

The Nerdy Teacher blog showcases what can come of this time when students are guided but given choice in what and how they learn. Students don’t just enhance their own learning. They become global learners and contributors as their ideas take root and grow beyond the four walls of the classroom. That’s what we want, right? For them to become productive members of society? Why are we looking at that concept as a futuristic occurrence? Why can’t it happen now?

The stigma of the word “genius” has taken on too much weight. Hopefully, this type of movement will lighten the load and provide us real examples of what genius looks like…and that we will find it in our students. They already do so many things to create and share and make the world better. They want to do. And to paraphrase Forrest Gump, “Genius is as genius does.”

Turn Genius Hour Into Genius Year is a great article by Jennifer B. Bernstein, Ph.D. at Edutopia. She outlines some important points about how to get the most out of Genius Hour with your students, including daring them to go further and engaging in conversations that lead to more creation.